Swab holder and dispenser



0ct. 28, 1952 A. M. Ron-:amm

swAE HOLDER AND DISPENSER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 23, 1950 faz@ZQEMHEEEEWJE Aitor/1155 Oct. 28, 1952 A. M. ROTHBARDT swAB HOLDER ANDDISPENSER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1950 BY @M ATTORNEYS Oct. 28,1952r A. M. ROTHBARDT '2256.155562 swAB HOLDER AND DISPENSER Filed Aug.2s, 195o "esmas-sheet s cZoZpzMRaZhar Zi A .4l/0171195 Patented Oct. 28,1952 UNITED S TAT E S f'FlflC'Ef f v 2,615,562 k r SWAB HOLDERANDIDISPENSER"y Adolph Martin RothbardLCh-icago, -Il1'. y ApplicationAugust 23, 195,0,5Serial-No. 180,999

This invention relates to swab holders and dispensers and is animprovement over the structure embodied in my co-pending application,

Serial No. 145,937, filed February 24', 1950,'for

Swab Holder, now Patent No. 2,609,089, issued September 2, 1952. f

3 Claims. (CL 20G-1) An object of this invention is to providea v holderfor sterile swabs and cotton which is so vconstructed and arranged thatthe swabs may be removed one at a time without affecting sterility ofthe `remaining swabs.

Another object of this invention is vto provide an improved swab refillunit for a holder of this kind together with` an improved method ofproducing the swab units. i

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved cottonrefill unit for mounting in a holder of this kind.

VA further object of this inventionl is to provide an improved method ofmaking the cotton rei-lll units.

With the above and other objects in view,.my invention consists in thearrangement, combination and vdetails-of construction disclosed in thedrawings and specication, and thenfmore .particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings.:

Figure 1 is a plan view partly broken away of a swab holder anddispenser constructed according to an embodiment of thisinvention withthe cover removed.

Figure 2 is a sectional view takenon the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3--3 ofFigure 2. y

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the cover.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the dispensing cap.

r Figure 6 isa perspective view of the cotton magazine.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the swab magazine.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the outer ,.receptacle.

Figure 9 is a plan view showing the manner in which the swab magazinesare produced.

4 Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional view taken Von the line I2'-I2 ofFigure 9.

Figure 13 is a detail side elevation partly broken away and in sectionshowing the man-V ner of forming the cotton magazine.

i2.: Referring to the drawings, the .numeral I5 designates generally areceptacle which is formedI with a cylindrical side wall I6, a bottomwall II, andan annularnange orrm I8 at 'the .upper end of sidewall IBL.A cap generally designated as I9 is. rotatably mounted onthe .upper endof the receptacle I5 A'and comprises a disc-shaped plate 20 formed. witha central cotton dispensing opening2l and formedat its outer edge with.a circular and inverted. U- shaped channel member22.. The outer leg ofthechannel member 2.2h`as projecting. therefrom an annular flange-23,.`and a depending cylindrical flange '24 eXtends-fromthe flange 23 andencompassesrtherrim-ior annular flange IB of receptacle I5. The channelmember 22 is formed with a cutout Y25aproviding a dispensing openingthrough the channel .member whereby the upper projecting end 0f a swabstick 26 .may

ybe-grasped between a pair of-fingers and pulled rugated outersheet 28.'I'he twosheets-.28 Aand 29 form pockets -3Btherebetweenwithin whichtheswab sticks .26 having a `wadof cotton .3|

on the lower endsthereof are adapted to removably engage. l Preferablythe lower'end of the magazine 2'I issealed as indicated at 32. The swabmagazine is initiallyV constructed'in flat form and is then bent in theform of. .a cylinder and inserted within the receptacle L5.

A cotton magazine generally designated as 33 is adapted toremovably.`engage withinthe -interior of the swab magazine 2ll andcomprises a bodyof cotton 3'4 which'is encased .in a cylindrical wrapper 35.' Thewrapper' 35 may vbe formed of any suitable flexibleymaterial .such aspaper, plastic, or the like. Inthe forming of the cotton magazine 33 thebodyofcotton 34 is initially combed in a manner such'that the cottonbers are in parallel relation and lengthwise of the wad of cotton.

The cotton is then formed into'a strip of suitable size which isycompressed and is then Vencased in a tubular casing or wrapper 35'. Thetubular wrapper 35 is of any suitable length,r and the magazines 33' arethen cut as'indicated at 36 from the long stick or magazine which'isformed by wrapping the long wad of cotton. The cotton is pulled upwardlythrough vthe dispenser opening 2| and by -having the bers-ofthe cottonextending lengthwise of the magazine when a ball 31 of cotton isinitially pulled upwardly through the` dispenser opening 2| there willcontinue to be enmeshed cotton bers which will be pulled upwardlythrough the dispenser opening 2l until substantially all of the cotton34 has been withdrawn from the jacket 35.

Referring now to Figures 9 and 10, there is disclosed one method ofproducing the swab magazines. The two exible sheets 28 and 29 are fedtoward each other by any suitable feeding means, and the ridges of thecorrugated sheet 28 are heat secured to the sheet 29.

Double ended swab sticks 25 and 26a are also fed between the sheets 28and 29 for engagement in the flutings of corrugated sheet 2S and as theinner edges of the sheets 281 and 29 of one swab holder are spaced fromthe inner edges of the other swab holder there will be a substantialprojection of each swab stick which is subsequently cut on" as indicatedat 38, thereby separating the two connected together swab magazines.

In Figure l one magazine 2 is shown with the lower edge thereof open asindicated at 39; whereas, in Figure 1l the outer edges or ends of theholders are sealed together. By sealing the outer edges, which when themagazines are bent into cylindrical form produce the lower edges of themagazine, the cotton wadding or ball 34 will be maintained in itsoriginal sterile condition.

After the two magazines 2l and 33 are inserted into the receptacle l andthe cap i9 engaged over the upper end of the receptacle l5 andencompassing the projecting ends of the swab sticks 26, a cover 4i] isadapted to be placed over the channel 22 of cap i9 as shown in Figure 2.

In the dispensing of the swab sticks or cotton from the dispenserhereinbefore described, the

vcover A0 is removed from the cap IQ, and the cap I9 is turned on theupper end of the receptacle l5 so as to expose one projecting end of theswab stick through the delivery opening 25.

The swab stick may then be pulled upwardly out of a pocket 3f) inmagazine 2l. The desired amount of cotton may be pulled upwardlybygrasping the projecting ball 37 of cotton and due to the intertwining ormeshing of the parallel bers of the cotton 34, there will always remaina projecting ball portion 31 after a quantity of cotton has beenseparated from ball 31.

The holder hereinbefore described may be formed out of any suitablematerial such as plastic or the like and will provide an antiseptic orsanitary means for holding swab sticks and sterile cotton. The magazines21 are constructed in a manner whereby when one magazine has beenexhausted as to the swab sticks 26, a refill magazine may be readilyinserted into the receptacle I5. In the same manner when the cottonmagazine 33 has been exhausted, a rell cotton magazine may be insertedinteriorly of the swab magazine.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character described, a cylindrical containerincluding spaced inner and outer walls and a bottom wall, the interiorof said inner wall dening a cotton-containing receptacle and the spacebetween said walls dening a, swab holder containing receptacle, aunitary swab holder in said last-mentioned receptacle comprised of acorrugated sheet and a flat sheet fixed to one side of said corrugatedsheet to form swab stick holding pockets, closure means comprised of anupwardly turned portion of said corrugated sheet for one end of eachpocket, a swab stick of a length in excess of the depth of said pocketsremovably positioned in at least one of said pockets, a cover rotatablymounted on said container, said cover including a central plate havingan aperture therein for permitting access to said first-mentionedreceptacle, a hollow bead of inverted U-shaped crosssection of a depthsuliicient to accommodate the projecting portion of said swab sticksurrounding said plate, and a coinciding cross-sectional cutout portionextending transversely of said bead and radially of said plate rotatableto selectively expose one of said pockets for withdrawal oi" a swabstick therefrom.

2. In a device of the character described, a cy- .l lindrical containerincluding spaced inner and cuter walls and a bottom wall, the interiorof said inner wall dein'mg a cotton-containing receptacle and the spacebetween said walls defining a swab holder containing receptacle, aunitary swab holder in said last-mentioned receptacle comprised of acorrugated sheet and a hat sheet xed to one side of said corrugatedsheet to form swab stick holding pockets, closure means comprised of anupwardly turned portion of said corrugated sheet for one end of eachpocket, a swab stick of a length in excess of the depth of said pocketsremovably positioned in at least one of said pockets, a cover rotatablymounted on said container, said cover including a central plate havingan aperture therein for permitting access to said inst-mentionedreceptacle, a hollow bead of inverted U-shaped cross-section of a depthsullcient to accommodate the projecting portion of said swab sticksurrounding said plate, a ooinciding cross-sectional cutout portionextending transversely of said bead and radially of said plate rotatableto selectively expose one of said pockets for withdrawal of a swab sticktherefrom, said container having an annular flange about the top thereofand a corresponding ange carried by said cover seating on saidrst-mentioned iiange, a depending guide ring about the periphery of saids corresponding ange, and a closure member including an annular top anda depending rim, said rim seating on the top of said correspondingilange and closely engaging the outer periphery of said bead.

'3; In a device of the character described, a cylindrical containerincluding spaced inner and outer walls and a bottom wall, the interiorof said inner wall defining a cotton-containing receptacle and the spacebetween said walls defining a swab holder containing receptacle, aunitary swab holder in said last-mentioned receptacle comprised of acorrugated sheet and a flat sheet xed to one side of said corrugatedsheet to form swab stick holding pockets, closure means comprised of anupwardly turned portion of said corrugated sheet for one end of eachpocket, a swab stick of a length in excess of the depth of said pocketsremovably positioned in at least one of said pockets, a cover rotatablymounted on said container, said cover including a central plate havingan aperture therein for permitting access to said first-mentionedreceptacle, a hollow bead of inverted U -shaped cross-section of a depthsufficient to accommodate the projecting portion of said swab sticksurrounding said plate, and a coinciding cross-sectional cutout portionextending transversely of said bead and radially of said plate rotatableto selectively expose one of said pockets for withdrawal of a swab sticktherefrom,

said container having an annular flange about the top thereof and acorresponding agngel carried by said cover seating on saidfirst-mentioned flange, said cutout portion extending through both theside walls of said bead to the level of said plate and being sodimensioned as to permit the insertion of the fingers to grasp a swabstick.

ADOLP'H MARTIN ROTHBARDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

Number Re. 14,619 960,236 1,049,148 2,114,872 2,317,102

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Moeller 'TMar;25, 1919 Simmons May 31,1910 Rhoades Dec, 31, 1912 Conner Apr. 19, 1938 McKaig, Jr Apr. 20, 1943Brewer May 9, 1944 Number Armbruster et a1. 'Oet. 15, 1946 FOREIGNPATENTS Country Date Great Britain June 8, 1948 y

